


All I Want for Christmas is You

by kaffee32



Series: Christmas 2016 [3]
Category: Avengers (Comics), Hawkeye (Comics), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Tree, Meeting in the ER, Russian Attack, Squirrel attack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-23
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-09-11 07:47:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8970202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaffee32/pseuds/kaffee32
Summary: You find yourself visiting the ER two days before Christmas, and a chance meeting with a certain archer causes your Christmas prospects to not be quite so lonely.





	

_I don’t want a lot for Christmas_  
_There is just one thing I need_  
_I don’t care about the presents_  
_Underneath the Christmas tree_  
  
_I just want you for my own_  
_More than you could ever know_  
_Make my wish come true_  
_All I want for Christmas is you_

“Ouch,” you groaned loudly, as you gingerly took the only empty seat left in the waiting room.  This was your first visit to the New York-Presbyterian Hospital in Brooklyn, and you hoped it would be your last.  The hospital seemed nice enough, but their emergency room was the last place you wanted to be, especially the day before Christmas Eve.

You thought the man next to you was asleep until he opened his eyes and looked over at you.  “That bad, huh?”  He actually looked worse than you felt, which was saying something.  His left hand was bruised and cut around his knuckles, and the right didn’t look any better.  There was dried blood under his nose and a small cut next to his left eye.  Whatever happened, he looked like he’d been through one hell of a fight.  Since he wasn’t there with a police escort, you hoped that meant that he was at least on the good side.

“Pretty bad.  Can you actually break your ass, because I think I might have broken my ass,” you groaned.

“You can break your tailbone, which is essentially your ass.  I’ve done it once before.  If you actually broke it, I think you’d be in a lot more pain. That would be a shame anyway, you have a great ass.”

You weren’t sure whether to be shocked or flattered.  It was certainly up there on the list of most forward things a stranger had ever said to you.  “I bet you say that to all the girls you meet in the ER, don’t you?  How would you know anyway, since I’m sitting on it?”

He shrugged, but you saw his lips curl up into a slight smile.  “I saw you standing at the check-in desk.”

“Creep,” you grumbled, but there was no heat in it.  After the morning you had, you weren’t even able to muster up enough energy to be offended.  In fact, you were surprised to find yourself a bit pleased.  Beyond the bruises and blood, the man was quite attractive.  His blonde hair was spiky and messy, and could stand to meet a comb.  He needed a shave, but you certainly didn’t object to a little scruff, and the intense way that his blue eyes stared at you when you spoke was a bit unnerving, but you didn’t seem to mind that either.

“So, what are you in for?” He was obviously taking in your own injuries.  

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Try me.  I’ve seen some pretty crazy stuff.”

You looked down at the ice pack on your left hand.  “Well, I was sitting at home…” you started explaining, before he cut you off.

“Sorry, can you look at me when you talk?  It would make things easier.”

“Uhhh, sure,” you replied, looking back up at him.  “Why?”

He pointed to both of his ears, and whispered, “80% deaf and I don’t have my hearing aids in.  I can hear you a little, but it’s much easier to read your lips.”

At least that explained his intense staring thing.  “You must read lips very well.”

“I do.  Especially when they’re as pretty as yours.”  

“Seriously?  Are you like this with every woman you meet?”  You tried to sound indignant, but knew the blush creeping across your face gave you away.

“Naah, just the cute ones,” he winked at you.  “Anyway, I don’t want to get slapped, so it might be safer to get back to your story.  I’m Clint, by the way.”  

You rolled your eyes at him.  “(Y/N).  So, as I was saying, I was sitting at home baking cookies, as one does at Christmas.  Unfortunately, I apparently suck at cookie baking and burned the first batch. It made my apartment smell, so I opened up a window to let in some fresh air.  Well, as fresh as you can get in New York City.”

“I hear that.  Well, I guess technically, I don’t.” He laughed at his own joke.

“The window was right next to my Christmas tree, and is missing a screen.  This is my first year having my own tree, and I was really proud of it.  Anyway, a little while later, I noticed that the tree was moving.”

“Like on its own?  Possessed Christmas tree, that’s a new one to me.”

“Well, I went to check it out and sitting in the middle of the tree was a squirrel.  It must have climbed in through the window from the fire escape, and looked perfectly happy in my tree.”

“Do you live near a park?”

“Just across the street.  Anyway, I couldn’t have him living in my apartment, so I tried to shoo him away toward the window, but he wasn’t having it.  He looked right at me and knocked off one of my favorite ornaments, shattering it at my feet.  Well, I tried to shoo him away again, and this time he moved up and began playing with another ornament, tossing it on the ground as well.  Now I was ticked off, so I grabbed my broom.”

“Oh no.”

“Oh yes.  I used the handle to poke at the thing, and it attacked me!”  You could tell that Clint was trying hard not to laugh, and you even thought that it might be funny to you one day, but today was not that day.  “So, I’m flailing around with this squirrel on my arm, trying not to scream, but failing miserably.  The broom was still in my hand, and in my flailing, the handle knocked the tree over and sent me tumbling backward onto my butt, where I also managed to hit my head hard on the coffee table.  That damned squirrel finally crawled off of me like his work was done and went and sat in the tree again, which was now completely sideways on the ground with ornaments rolling everywhere.  He was just staring at me.  I’m pretty sure he was mocking me.”

“So, is he still there?”

“No.  I wasn’t going to let him win.  I got up, and this time I held up the sweeping part of the broom.  He climbed right on it, and it was a race as he started climbing up the handle toward me, and I tried to toss the broom out of the window.  I was victorious and celebrated by slamming the window shut.”  You sighed dramatically, holding up the hand with the ice pack.  “Right on my hand.”

This time he didn’t bother to contain his laughter. “I’m sorry, you’re obviously hurt, so I know I shouldn’t laugh, but that is a funny story.”

“Yeah, yeah.  Laugh at my misery.  It’s painful to sit, I have squirrel scratches on my arm and probably have Rabies, a smashed-up hand, a giant bump on the back of my head, and quite possibly a concussion.  Not to mention my tree is ruined and there are lights and ornaments all over my floor.”

“Well, the worst of those is the possible concussion.  Squirrels don’t usually carry Rabies, so you are safe there.”

“And how do you know that?  Are you a Veterinarian?”  

He gave you a surprised look.  “No, I’m not a veterinarian.  Used to live in a small town in Iowa though, then traveled with a circus.  I know a little about animals.”

“Well, I hope you’re right.  I was looking up animal scratches on the way over here, and Rabies shots don’t sound like a lot of fun.  Wait.  You were in the Circus?  Ringling Brothers?  What did you do?  My dad would take us to Ringling Brothers any time they were in town.  I thought you might look a little familiar, but I don’t know why.”

“No, I was in a different type of circus.  Much smaller.  I’m not surprised that I look familiar to you, but it wouldn’t be from there.  How long have you been in the city?”

“I moved here in June.  I grew up in Pittsburgh.”

“Well, I’m gonna try not to be offended that you don’t recognize me, then.”

“Alright, I told you my story, it’s time to tell me yours.  What brings you to the ER the eve of Christmas Eve, and why should I know who you are?”

Before he could answer, a nurse came out of the door and shouted, “Barton, Clint?”

“I think this is you.  Barton is your last name?”  He nodded and stood up.  “That’s so unfair.  I humiliated myself with my story and now you’re off the hook.”

Clint smiled down at you.  “Russians.”

“What?”

“Russians.  I’m here because of Russians.”  He turned and followed the nurse through the door without another word.

* * *

It wasn’t much longer before it was your turn to be called.  The nurse led you down a hallway to a large room with beds separated into little cubicles by curtains.  She went over your information, checked your vitals and looked over your wounds before letting you know that a doctor would be with you shortly.  She left, pulling the front curtain mostly closed behind her.  You laid back on the bed and closed your eyes, until the sound of a curtain moving, this time from the side, made you open them again.  

“Hey!  Fancy meeting you here.  How come you didn’t get one of these sexy hospital gowns?”  Clint, who was obviously in the cubicle next to yours, was now beside your bed.  “Sorry, hope you don’t mind, I heard you come in,” he indicated the open curtain that separated your areas.

“Not at all,” you turned your face, making sure he could see you when you spoke.  “I guess I don’t have any reason to have one of those.  It looks good on you, though. Have you seen a doctor yet?”

He grinned at the compliment and purposely flexed his arms to show off some pretty impressive muscle.  “Yeah, waiting to have an X-Ray.  Might have a few broken ribs.”

“Broken ribs from Russians?  I’ve got nowhere to be until a doctor sees me, so let’s hear it.”

“You don’t waste any time, do you, (Y/N)?  Okay.  Long story short.  I used to live in Bed-Stuy.  It’s not in the greatest part of town, but I needed an apartment and it was cheap.  The neighbors were pretty nice,” he shrugged, pulling the little chair next to your bed closer so that he could sit on it and not have to shout.  “Well, they’re trying to gentrify the area, and a group of Russians were trying to take over the building to get the tenants to leave.”

“And they attacked you?”  You honestly expected a silly story like yours, but this sounded much more serious.

“Well, yeah, a few times.  It’s been a while though.  I thought I was done dealing with them.  Anyway, I kind of ended up buying the building so everyone wouldn’t be kicked out.  I lived there for a while, but all the hipsters moving into the area kind of ruined it for me, so I rented out my apartment to my buddy Wade, and moved to Manhattan, which is nuts enough, but put me closer to work.  Wade keeps an eye on the building, but I still check in pretty often.  I went to deliver some Christmas presents to the tenants today, and the Russian guys saw me and tried to shoot me.”

“Oh my gosh, you are kidding!”

“Wish I was.  They missed though, but then there was a big fight and they pretty much kicked my ass, but I finally got the best of them.  The police came, they got arrested, and I came here.”

“So, are you really brave, or just really stupid?  Picking a fight with the Russian mob?  People actually shooting at you?  I’m surprised you weren’t arrested as well.”

“Naah, they shot at me, and the police in that area know us all well enough to know that I’m one of the good guys.”  Taking in your doubtful look, he frowned.  “I am!”

“I believe you.  Why’d you come all the way out here for treatment, though?”

“Well, the people here know me.  Now, enough questions about me.  Do you and your boyfriend have any big plans for Christmas this weekend?”

“Wow,” you sniggered.  “Was that an actual question or your terrible attempt to find out if I had a boyfriend?”  He began to sputter out an answer, but you cut him off.  “No boyfriend.  I would be spending Christmas with my parents in Pittsburgh, but my dad surprised my Mom with this old people’s cruise from China to Australia, and it happened to fall over Christmas.  My mom tried to get my dad to switch the date, but I assured her that I’d be fine.  They are having a blast on the trip, so that’s worth spending Christmas alone.  What about you?”

“My parents are dead.  I’ve got an older brother but we are hit or miss, and right now is a miss.”

‘Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.  Maybe you could call him?”

“Naah, it’s okay.  My partner actually made other plans on Christmas Day, or I’d usually do something with her.”

“Oh,” you were surprised at the feeling of disappointment that hit you at his words, you didn’t really know this guy, so why should you care if he was seeing someone? “She made plans for Christmas without you?”

“Sure. She likes to get away and take time for herself, and we usually don’t have much to do on Christmas, so it’s a good time for her to go.  I mean, it’s not like we’re…”  He suddenly started grinning at you.  “Oh!  When I said partner, did you think I meant like a romantic partner?  Is that why you suddenly became Ms. Frowny?  Jealous?”  Once again, he flexed his arm muscles at you, and you had the overwhelming urge to throw something at him.  “No, we work together.  She’s not my girlfriend.  She’d kill me.”

“I understand the feeling,” you grumbled.  

The front curtain opened and the doctor stood there looking surprised.  “Oh, umm…Hello.  Did you get lost, Mr. Barton?”

“Naah, I was just entertaining my neighbor, Doc.  I’ll leave you two alone to talk.”  He turned and walked back to his cubicle.

After checking you out, the doctor ordered an X-ray for your hand, an MRI for your head and blood tests, but he assured you that Clint was right that squirrels didn’t usually carry Rabies, and didn’t even trigger the Rabies protocol.   When the nurse came to take you to the X-ray room, you ran into Clint again waiting for his turn.

“If I keep running into you like this, I’m gonna think that you’re following me,” he teased you.  

“You wish. MRI and X-ray for me.”

“Just an X-ray for me.  There are two people ahead,” he sighed.  “Does the doc think you have a concussion?  I’ve had a few of those.  They are awful.”

“Probably not, but better safe than sorry, I guess,” you shrugged.  “You’ve broken your tailbone, had a few concussions, and I can see scars on your arms.  What in the world do you do for a living?  Are you a UFC fighter?”

He gave you an exacerbated look.  “Do you really not recognize me?”

“No.  I just know you have a partner, get injured a lot, and apparently the police let you go after you beat up Russians, who try to kill you.”

“Well, that’s because I’m one of the good guys.”  He puffed up a little, but the movement seemed to cause him pain, so he slumped back down in his seat.  “You know, because I’m an Avenger.”

You immediately had to cover your mouth to keep from laughing out loud.  “You’re an Avenger?  Okay,” you giggled.  “You don’t look like Iron Man or Captain America.  Maybe Thor with short hair?  You look a bit shorter than he does on TV, but you do have some pretty impressive arms.”  You couldn’t believe those words came out of your mouth, but it was true.   He didn’t even have to flex to make his arms impressive, but he was happy to do it again with a grin.

“Hawkeye.  You know, the guy with the bow?”  He looked a bit dejected when you didn’t seem to have a clue what he was talking about.  “Hawkeye and Black Widow.  We’re partners?  At least we were before SHIELD fell.  Still are, really.”

“I’ve heard of Black Widow.  She’s awesome!”  You knew you shouldn’t tease him, but you couldn’t help it.  

“Have you really never heard of me?”

“I knew there was someone with a bow, but sorry, I didn’t know your name.  If that’s really you.”

“It’s really me.  I even have an official Avengers card that Tony made us all last Christmas,” he replied. “So, what do you do?”

“Nothing as exciting as you, apparently.  I’m a Network Engineer.  Basically, it means I’m a great big nerd and I live in front of a computer.”

“At least Russians or aliens aren’t trying to kill you all the time.”

“No, I’ve never had anyone try to kill me, except a squirrel,” you giggled.

The door to one of the x-ray rooms opened and a nurse came out.  “I didn’t believe it when they said we had an Avenger waiting, but wow!  It’s really true.  I don’t mean to sound like a fangirl, but would you mind signing an autograph for my son? After your X-ray, of course.  You’re like his fifth favorite Avenger!”

Clint rolled his eyes at you as you tried to hide your laughter.  “Sure, let’s just get this over with,” he grumbled.

“Oh, I’m actually here for her,” she pointed at you apologetically.

“Of course you are.  Good Luck, (Y/N),” he said, as you were wheeled into the room.  “I really hope you don’t have a concussion.”

* * *

Clint wasn’t in the hall when you were done with your X-ray, and by the time you got back from the MRI, his cubicle was empty as well.  Your nurse informed you that he was discharged just a little while ago.  

You were disappointed that you didn’t get to say goodbye, since he made the trip to the ER a little more bearable.  Of course, he probably had more important things to do than hang around waiting to say goodbye to you, given what he did for a living, you decided.

Even before you knew that part, that he was an Avenger, you found him interesting.  He was a great big flirt for sure, but he was funny and he made you laugh.  The fact that he was quite attractive didn’t hurt either.  He didn’t take himself very seriously, which was a rarity for men in the city, and you found it refreshing.

After having your bruised, not broken, hand wrapped, scratches cleaned up, and being declared concussion free, you were finally able to leave.  You gathered up your belongings, prescriptions and discharge papers and headed back into the lobby, where you were shocked to find Clint sitting in a chair just outside the exit from the ER.  He looked up at you and smiled.

“So, what’s the verdict?  I’ve got some bruised ribs, but nothing is broken.  They wrapped them, gave me a prescription for pain, and told me to keep the cuts on my knuckles and hands clean.”

You tried very hard to hide the goofy smile on your face from finding him there waiting for you, but knew you were probably failing.  “My hand is bruised, not broken.  The scratches aren’t likely to give me Rabies, and I have a lovely knot on the back of my head, but they found no signs of a concussion.  I have a nice list of things to look out for, antibiotics, and pain meds as well.”

“So, you don’t have a concussion?”

“Nope.  Doc says my brain is just fine.”

He seemed relieved.  “Oh good.  That will make this next question seem way less creepy.  What are you doing after this?”

“Besides going home to pick what’s left of my tree and my dignity off my living room floor?  Not much.  Why?”

“Well, while I was on the X-Ray table, I was thinking.  You’re alone for Christmas, I’m alone for Christmas, maybe we should be alone for Christmas, together.  We could get out of here and go get a slice of pizza to start with.”  He looked at you with sudden concern.  “Do you like pizza?”

“Duh, doesn’t everybody?”

“Whew, dodged a bullet there.”  

“Not your first today, so it would seem.”

“Yeah, yeah.  At least I missed them.  Respect the skills,” he grinned.  “Anyway, I could help you with your tree if you wanted me to, and maybe tonight we could take a walk through Rockefeller Center or look at the window displays in midtown?  All the stuff New Yorkers do at Christmas.  Tomorrow we could go to dinner, anywhere you wanted.”

“We won’t be able to get reservations anywhere in the city for Christmas Eve at this point.”

“Sure I can.  Well, more specifically, Tony Stark can.  Speaking of Stark, he has this big Christmas dinner party thing on Christmas Day.  It’s a lot of small talk and fancy food, but it isn’t too bad.  You could be my plus one if you wanted to go with me?”

“You’re actually serious about all of this, aren’t you?”

He nodded.  “It may seem a little crazy, given that we just met earlier today, but I feel like we’ve bonded over doctors and medical diagnoses, haven’t we? Besides, I bet the doctor suggested you not be alone for a while in case you really do have a concussion.”

“True, I suppose,” you shrugged.  You were already sold on the idea of spending time with Clint, and getting to know him better, when you saw him waiting for you in the lobby.  Not being alone for Christmas was just an added bonus.

“Look, I know that it probably sounds like I’m hitting on you in the middle of an emergency room lobby, but…”

“Yes?”  You raised an amused eyebrow at him.

“That’s just because I am absolutely hitting on you in the middle of an emergency room lobby,” he chuckled.  “What do ya say?”

You considered him for a moment, before nodding.  “Slight modifications.  No fancy dinner tomorrow.  My family has cheese fondue on Christmas Eve. It’s a tradition, so we’ll cook.  I wasn’t going to bother since it was just going to be me, but I’d rather do that than some stuffy restaurant.  Plus, if I decide to go with you to that party on Christmas day, I really only have one fancy dress, and don’t feel like spending the rest of the day shopping so I don’t have to wear the same dress twice.”

“Really?  Nat has a whole closet full of party dresses.  I thought all women did?”

“I’m a Network Engineer, Clint, not a spy.  How many fancy dresses do you think I need?” When he shrugged, you shook your head in disbelief, and changing the subject.  “Another thing. I don’t think that either of us should be walking around the city in our current conditions, so we grab a pizza and medications, go to my place, and watch the greatest Christmas movie ever made.”

Clint crossed his fingers on both hands, brought them up to his face, and closed his eyes tightly.  “Please say Die Hard.  Please say Die Hard.”

“Duh,” you giggled.  “Of course I mean Die Hard.  It isn’t Christmas until I see Hans Gruber fall off of Nakatomi Plaza.”

“You very well might be the perfect woman, (Y/N),” he grinned.

Having no idea how to answer that, you didn’t bother.  “So, pizza?”

“Yeah. Pizza.  I’m starving.”  He held his hand up, and you headed for the door. As you stepped out onto the sidewalk, he turned to you.  “So, about what I said just a few minutes ago, about hitting on you.  That didn’t scare you off?”

“No, not at all.  What do you say we start with pizza and see what happens from there, though?”  You held your non-bandaged hand out to him, and he gave you a big goofy smile as he took it, entwining his fingers with yours.

“That seems fair to me.  I wonder if that squirrel is still lurking around your apartment?”

“I have no idea, but I don’t intend to open my window and find out, at least until I put a screen on it.  Hey!  After all this, maybe I’ll join the Avengers,” you teased him.  “Apparently it’s not that hard.  I could be Squirrel Girl!”

He looked at you and laughed.  “No, no I’m afraid you can’t. Strangely enough, that name’s already taken.”

“You people are very weird.”

He used the hand he was holding to pull you a little closer as you walked.  “You have no idea.”

You weren’t quite sure what you were getting yourself into, and you certainly weren’t expecting to spend your Christmas weekend with a guy that you met in the ER.  Especially one who was an Avenger and spent his time fighting bad guys, aliens and apparently Russians.  He was sweet though, funny, quite handsome, and you were very much looking forward to whatever happened next.  

 


End file.
